Automatic record changer



Nov. 2, 1943. Q R` DE TAR 2,333,414

AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Invetor:

Donald TQ. )23e-l'` a1,

by ifa/wy@- Hs ttor'ney.

NOV. 2, 1943. D, R, DE TAR 2,333,414

AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Filed sept. 19, 1940 4sheets-sheet 2 Inventor: DOTW lCiv DST-@Py by MTWM r-l s Attorney..

Nov. 2, 1943. D. R. DE TAR 2,333,414 Y AUTOMATIC REcoRDv CHANGER Filed sept. 19, 1940 4 sheets-sheet 5 Inventor: Donald. R. De'lav,

His Attorney. l

Nov. 2, 1943.

AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER Filed Sept. 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor: Donald F2. D Tar,

His Attorney.

D. R. DE TAR v 2,333,414

Patented Nov. 2, 19143 UNITED asian Annemarie ancona ensue-.on

Donald R. De Tar, Stratford, Conn.,

assimor to General Eieotric Company, a corporation oi New York it Maires.

My invention relates to automatic record changing phonographs.

One of the objects of my invention is to pro vide an improved automatic record changing phonograph capable of playing records or dinerent diameters in succession without attention of the operator.

A further object of my invention is to provide in such a phonograph a material simpliiication of the mechanism employed whereby the adaptability of the phonograph to large scale coinmercial production is improved.

Further objects of my invention rela to improvements in the record changer actuating mechanism, tone arm actuation mechanism, and, in particular, to improved stop mechanism for the tone arm whereby it is stopped in a position determined by the diameter of the next record to be played.

The novel features which I believe to he characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereo may best be understood by reference to the foliowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a side view partly in section of my invention; Fig. 2 repre.

sents a top view with portions cut away; Fig. 3 is an exploded view; Figs. 4, 5, and l and 8 represent modications, and Fig. 6 illustrates a detail of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1', I have indicated therein a phonograph having a turntable i, arranged for rotation about a central shaft 2 which is journaled in a bearing 3 carried by a chassis member 4. The turntable I is driven by means of a motor 5 which is provided with a pinion t indicated in dotted lines underneath the turntable l. This pinion cooperates with the inner surface of a peripheral flange 1 about the circumference of the turntable.

Above the turntable i is positioned a stack of records 8 through the centers oi which entend an extension shaft 8, which has a'sorew threaded, or dowel, connection with the shaft 2 upon 'which the turntable I is carried, whereby the stach of records t is centered with respect to the turntable. This stack may include records ci different diameters indiscriminately arranged. As illustrated, the lower three records are of smaller diameter while the upper two are of larger diameter.

This stack of records is supported in a magazine, which is made up of two or more columns ill and i i on either side of the turntable. These columns are hollow and have extending therethrough shafts of which the shaft l2 in column ill is indicatedon the drawings. These shafts i2 at their upper end carry cylindrical sleeves I3 to which are attached platens it and it. These platone are indicated in Fig. .'i but will be better described hereinafter. The records inthe magazine normally rest upon the platen i5. During the discharge of the records, however, shafts i2 are caused to rotate thereby rotating the platens l out from underneaththe records thereby permitting the bottom record of the stack to iall upon the turntable. Prior to the discharge oi the bottom record, however, the platens i6 move in between thetwo bottom records so that the remaining records in the stack are supported upon the platone it. The shafts it are then rotated to their initial position in which the stack is again supported by the platens i5.

The tone arm it, provided with a stylus il, is shown in the position which it assumes when the last record in the stack has been played. When the phonograph is started as by means of a handle it, this tone arm automatically moves to the starting position of the record to be played, this position having been determined by a iinger it which is rotated by the record discharge mechanism to a position such that it engages the periphery of the bottom record of the stack just before it is discharged from the magazine. In

this way it positions a tone arm stop mechanism, later to be described, whereby the tone arm is stopped at a position corresponding to the diameter of the record to he played.

The record changing mechanism and the tone arm are operated from a horizontal cam shaft 2t beneath the chassis which cam shaft is driven through a clutch 2i from the shaft 2, upon which the turntable is mount/ed, through a worm 22 and a worm wheel 23. The clutch 2| is closed by operationiof a lever 2a Aeither through throwing oi the handle It or by means of lever it@ after a record has been played. When this occurs the shaft it is driven through one complete revelution.

This shaft is provided with two cams 25 and 2l. On the periphery of cam t rides the lower end oi a vertice?. rod 28. This rod 2t extends upward through a sleeve 2t which is supported in a bushing, not shown in the drawings, and its upper end supports thetone arm at a point in# termediate its ends and forms a pivot about which the tone arm swings in its horizontal movement. This rod 28 is moved upward by the cam 25 and thus lifts the tone arm from the position in which it is shown, if it be in that position, or from the'recordii it be on the record.

Cain 2i is straddled by a rocker member 29, which is rigidly attached to a shaft 30. The left end of this shaft t is provided with an arm 3i, which is connected through a link 32 with a rocker lever 34, the opposite ends of which are connected through suitable linkage to the shafts i2. Thus, upon rotation of the shaft 2B cam 26 .ger

, the shafts I2 to discharge a record. Later, after the record has been discharged, rocker 29 and bench arm 34 and shafts I2 return to their initial position and, subsequently, the tone arm is lowered.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal View of the apparatus with the records and turntable cut awayto illustrate more clearly the tone arm positioning mechanism. This mechanism comprises a disk 35 mounted upon column 'II of Fig. 1 for rotation about shaft I2 and to which is attached the fln- I9 mentioned in connection with Fig. 1. This finger I8 and disk 35 are connected to the shaft I2 through a drag'connection comprising spring 31. Of course, a suitable frictional drive connection might be used. In this way, when shaft I2 and platens I and I4 are rotated clockwise, as seen in Fig. 2, to discharge a record, finger I9 and disk 35 are rotated clockwise until the end of finger I9 engages the periphery of the record about to be discharged. It is thus restrained from further movement although shaft I2 and the platens I4 and I5 continue their rotation until the record is discharged. In this way disk 35 is positioned in accordance with the diameter of the next record to be discharged from the stack.

This disk 35 has three different radii, one being a small radius, as indicated at 36, corresponding to the smallest record to be played; another being somewhat larger, as indicated at 39, corresponds to a larger record to be played; and a third being still larger, as indicated at 38, corresponds to the condition in which the magazine is empty.

Adjacent the disk 35 is a tone arm stop lever 40 pivoted for rotation about a pivot 4I under influence of a spring 42 but, in the condition shown, restrained from such rotation by means of a pawl 43, which engages in one or another of three notches in one end of the lever 40. This pawl is held in engagement withone of these notches by means of a spring 44.

Just prior to the discharge of a record, pawl 43 is actuated through means not shown in Fig. 2 to release stop lever 48 whereby this lever moves under inuence of spring 42. It is provided with a detent 45 which then engages the periphery of disk 35 to stop the movement of lever'40. Pawl 43 then re-engages the end of lever 40 and holds it in its new'position determined by the radius of disk 35 adjacent detent 45, which position has been determined by finger I9 engaging the periphery of the record to be discharged from the magazine.

The right end of the lever 48 is provided with three notches 46, 41 and 48. 'Ihe tone arm, after being lifted, is moved toward the record by means of a spring 49 until pawl 50 engages one of the notches 46, 41 and 48. It is shown in the notch 48 since it is assumed that the machine stopped after playing the last record. During operation it engages the notch 41 when the next record to be played is of `a large diameter and the notch 46 when the next record to be played is of small diameter. In this way the extent of its inward movement is determined by the diameter of the next record to be played.

Fig. '3 is an exploded view showing the mechanism with its various elements so spaced that the shapes and inter-relationship of the various elements may be more clearly discerned. 'I'he various vertical shafts and different other interconnecting members are .shown greatly exaggerated in length to permit wide spacing of the parts in the drawings. The shafts I2 are shown having at their upper ends the platens I4 and I5 constituting the record magazine and which are operated to effect discharge of the records in the magazine one by one.

Finger I9 is shown connected to disk 35 through member I9', whereby the two are rotated upon rotation of shaft I2 by means of the drag connection comprising spring 31 and member 9| on shaft I2. Adjacent disk 35 is positioned stop lever 40 with its detent 45 which cooperates with the periphery of disk 35.

The tone arm I6 is shown in the same position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which it rests upon the upper end of a rod 5I. This rod 5I rests at its lower end on two resilient members 53 and 54 the latter of which carries a contact, y

which engages with an electrical contact 55 to constitute a switch in the electrical circuit of the motor which drives the turntable. The weight of the tone Aarm is such that, resting upon the rod 5I, it bears resilient members 53 and 54 downward and thus opens the switch 54, 55 andstops the motor. This'occurs after the playing of the last record in the magazine.

Handle I8 by which the phonograph is started is rigidly attached to one end of a rod 55 which has rigidly attached to its lower end a member 56 which, when rod 55 is rotated by actuation of handle I8,v cooperates with the lower end of rod 5I tomove it upward thus closing the motor circuit. The turntable then starts to rotate. The member 56, in its rotation also, through cam action between itself and member 51, causes longitudinal motion of member 51, thereby to engage member 24 and actuate it backward to close the clutch 2| to connect cam shaft 20 to the spindle 2 of the turntable.

This clutch 2| comprises a stationary drum 60 having a notch 10 at one point in its periphery. This notch 10 is engaged by a 'tooth 1I carried by means of a rocker member 12 of the shape shown in the drawings. This rocker member is pivoted for rotation about pivot 13 by which it is secured at.point 14 in a disk 15 mounted rigidly on the shaft 20. One end 16 of this member I 12 rides in a notch 11 in the periphery of this disk 15, and extends adjacent the teeth of a ratchet wheel 83 which forms the driving member of the clutch.- The opposite end 18 vof member 12 is connected by means of a spring 80 to a member 8| which is attached to the disk 15 at point 82. In this way the member 12 is biased to the open condition of the clutch in which tooth 1I engages the notch 10.

When member 24 is moved inward it engages the end 16 of member 12 rocking this member in the counterclockwise direction about member 13 thus removing the tooth 1I from the notch 10, and at the same time. moving the end 16 into engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 83. This ratchet wheel 83 is connected through the worm wheel 23 and worm 22 to the spindle 2 of the turntable. The ratchet 83 then drives the member 12, disk 15,`and the shaft 20. After tooth 1I moves out of notch 10 on to the periphery of the drum 60 the clutch cannot be opened until at least one revolution of the shaft 20 has been completed. When this occurs the tooth 1I drops into the notch 10, moving end 16 of member 12 out of engagement with ratchet 83, and thereby opens the clutch.

During the rotation of the shaft 20, cams 26 and 21, of course, rotate. The first action is that of cam 26 which moves rod 28 upward thus lifting the tone arm I6 off from rod 5| whereupon the switch 54-55 remains closed by reason of the resilience of members 53 and 54 even though handle I8 is released by the operator. In its upward movement the tone arm hinges about a horizontal pivot I29 of hinge I2| provided on one end of member 99 carried by column 28.

Following this action cam 21 rotates rocker member 29 and the shaft 39 in its mounting first in a counterclockwise direction, thereby actuating arm 3| backward. The upper end of this member 3| is connected by means of a link 84 to lever 34. This lever 34 is pivoted about the shaft 2 of the turntable and has its opposite ends connected through link members 85 and 86 to the bottom end of shafts I2 whereby those shafts are cau'sed to rotate first in a clockwise direction. Lever 34 also carries a pin 81, which causes movement in a clockwise direction of a pivoted lever 88, which, in turn, carries at one end a pin 99. This pin 90 extends adjacent member 99 to which the tone arm is attached. During the clockwise movement of shafts I2 the pin 90 moves forward away from the turntable into engagement with member 99 whereby it moves the tone arm, if the tone arm is over the turntable, away from the turntable.

During the clockwise movement of shaft I2, finger 9| on the rear one of these shafts, as shown in the drawing, is carried in the clockwise direction about the shaft. This finger 9| is connected to the-frame comprising disk 35, finger I9 and member I9' by means of the spring 31 and in this way this frame including disk 35 and iin-y ger I9 are caused to, rotate as a unit clockwise until finger I9 engages the periphery of the bottom record of the stack. It is then stopped in that position although the rotation of shaft I2 continues against the tension of spring 31 which may be very light. Disk 35 is thus positioned in accordance with the diameter of the next record to be played.

At about this time finger 92 on the rear shaft I2 engages a finger 93 the latter of which is connected through a one-way drive connection with a shaft 94 on which pawl 43 is rigidly mounted. Pawl 43, shaft 94 and finger 93 are biased to the position shown by means of a spring 95. In this position the pawl 43 engages a notch in the end of the stop lever 49. When finger 92 engages nger 93, this finger, pawl 43 and shaft 94 rotate as a unit against the tension of spring 95, pawl 43 moving out from engagement with the notch in the end of stop lever 49, whereupon lever 49 moves under the bias of its spring 42 until detent 45 engages the periphery of disk 35. Of course, the point on the periphery of disk 35 which is engaged by detent 45 is determined by the diameter of the next record to be played and thus stop lever 40 assumes a position in accordance with the diameter of Ythe next record or, if the magazine be empty, it assumes the position in which it is shown in the drawings. i

OfY course, alter finger 92 passes finger 9.3, paw 43 snaps back into one of the notches in the end of lever 40, thereby to retain that lever in the position to which it has been actuated after disk 35 and finger I9 return to their initial position.

The rotation of shafts I2 now continues with platens i4 moving between the bottom two records of the stack. Platens I then move out from under the bottom record permitting it to toward the turntable.

drop upon the turntable. Ihe rotation of shafts I 2 is then reversed by reason of the shape of cam 21 from which they are driven, whereupon platens I5 return beneath the next record in the magazine and assume the support of the stack. During this return movement, the finger 92 again engages nger 93 and this finger now moves freely about vshaft 94 and permits nger 92 to pass.

Pin 99 is now moved away from the tone arm This leaves the tone arm I6 free to'be rotated by means of a spring 96toward the turntable.

'Ihis spring 96 is connected to a tone arm return lever 91 carrying -an upright member 98 which engages the forward portion of member 99 to which the tone arm is attached and which is arranged for rotation about the rod 28 and column 28. 'I'hus spring 96 causes clockwise movement of the tone arm return lever 9 1, members 98, nger 99, and tone arm I6, Vabout shaft 28, until pawl 59, carried by the tone arm return lever 91, engages one of the notches 46, 41 or 48 in the tone arm stop lever 49. In the position shown it engages notch 48 since it isassumed that the machine previously had stopped after playing the last record. Since the bottom record shown in the magazine is of small diameter, the pawl 50 will, in the operation being described, engage the notch 46, and the tone arm will be moved to a position corresponding to the starting point of a small record.

Shaft 29 now completes its revolution, rod 28 is lowered by cam 26 thus lowering the tone arm I8 on to the record.

At this time the tooth 1I rides into the notch 19 in drum 69 thus opening clutch 2I and stopping the operation of the record changing mechanism.

The record is now played to its completion at which time a member |99, which is attached to member 99 on which the tone arm is mounted,

engages member 24 again closing the clutch. 'I'he cycle of operation, just described, is now repeated, this operation continuing until al1 the records have been played. Of course, after the small diameter records have been played and when the next record to be played is of large diameter, the pawl 50 engages the notch 41 because of the position occupied by lever 49, thus stopping the tone arm at the starting position of the large record. After all of the records have been played and the magazine is empty, the finger I9, in the next cycle of operations, finds itself free to move inward to the fullest extent whereupon detent 45, when moved into engagement with the disk 35, falls at the point of largest diameter of this disk. Stop lever 49 is then stopped in the position shown in the drawings whereby pawl 59, on its return movement, engages in the notch 48 thus stopping the tone arm in the position shown. 'I'hen when the tone arm is lowered by cam 26 it falls upon the rod 5I and by reason of its Weight, causes deflection of resilient members 53-54 opening the switch 54-55 and stopping the turntable.

To describe additionally the one way drive connection previously mentioned, between finger 93 and shaft'l 94 itis pointed out that this finger 93 is loosely mounted on shaft 94. A member 93T is rigidly connected to shaft 94 at its lower end and extends beneath finger 93. A pin I 22 extends downward from finger 93 at one side of member 93' and a pin |23 projects upward from member 93' at the other side of nger 33.

Spring |24 having one end attached to shaft 94 ment between pin nected to stop lever lever 40 in which it has and its other end attached to the tail of finger 93, biases pins |22 and |23 toward each other. When finger 92 in its clockwise motion, engages finger 93 it actuates shaft 94 throughVV engage- |22 and member 93'?, and thereby carries pawl 43 counterclockwise. On the return movement of nger 92, finger 93 merely moves freely around shaft 94 against the spring |24.

It should also be noted that pawl 45 is con- 40 through a spring 45' to lessen noise and improve the smoothness of the action. For the' same reason a spring connection is utilized between pawl 50 and member 91.

If at any time during the playing of a record the operator decides that he does not wish to complete the playing of that record, but wishes to reject it instead, he moves handle `I8 to the right as shown in both Figs. 2 and 3. This starts the record changing operation as previously described. This occurs irrespective of the position of the tone arm on the record. The tone arm is lifted, moved away from the record, a new record dropped on the turntable and the tone arm moved back to the starting position of the new record and the playing of the new record is begun.

If now, the operator decides to stop the machine he moves handle I8 to the left as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This starts the record changing action as before. However, this leftward movement of handle I8 carries member |22, which is pivoted on the rear end of member |23 to which handle I8 is attached, to the right, its end |24 engaging stop lever 40 and operating it against its spring bias 42 to sucha position that when engaged by pawl 50 the tone arm is stopped beyond the record and when lowered the tone arm falls on rod 5I opening the switch 54, 55 and stopping the machine.

Fig. 4 shows a slight-modification of the stop only notches 41 and 48, the function of notch 46 of Fig. 3 being served by means of a iixed pin, or stop post I|. This pin is so positioned .that when the tone arm return. lever is returned, it is stopped by pin |0| in the position corresponding to the starting position of a small record. Of course, if the next record to be played be large then it is returned until pawl 50 engages notch 41, or if the magazine be empty, until pawl 50 engages notch 48. If desired, pin IDI may be positioned to stop lever 40, rather than lever 91, at the position corresponding to a small record.

Fig. shows a modification of my invention in which the clutch 2| is not operated by gradual inward movement of the tone arm but is operated only in response. to increased velocity of movement of the tone arm. This is desirable because the sound groove of records may stop at different inner diameters dependent upon the length of record played with the result that the record changer may be set into operation before the record has been entirely completed. On many records the sound groove terminates in a spiral as indicated at |03 on record |02 shown in Fig. 5. This spiral leads to a concentric inner groove I 04. In accordance with the modification shown in Fig. 5 the record changer is started only in response to the rapid inward movement of the tone arm as the stylus I1 traverses the spiral |03.

In this gure the member |00 which in Fig. 3 is shown as carried by the tone arm support 99,

' is connected to the tone arm by means of a spring |05. Thus, on the inward movement of the tone arm, as the lower end of member |00 engages member 24" lt may move itl inward slightly but its inward movement is repelled by means of a member |06 which is engaged by a pin |01 carried by ratchet 83. Members 24' and |06 are rigidly attached to the pivot member |09 so that any slight movement of member 24 inward, moves the lower end of member26 outward until its outer surface is engaged by the pin |01 on the ratchet 83 in its next rotation, which in turn moves member |06 inward and member 24 outward. This pushes member |06 back to its starting position, restoring member 24 to its initial position and retaining the clutch open. When the stylus however, reaches the spiral groove |03, member |04 then bears against mem- I ber 24 sufficiently to move member |06 completely across the path of movement of pin |01 so that it is not engaged byv pin |01. Member 24 thus moves end 16 of member 12 into the teeth of the ratchet and closes the clutch, whereupon shaft 20 and its cams Aare rotated through one revolution.

Fig. 6 shows in greater detail the shape of member |06 and its relation to the ratchet 83 and the pin |01. It will be seen that is moved to the left only slightly it will be engaged by pin |01 and actuated back to its initial position. If it is actuated across the path |09, however, of the pin |01 then no such action occurs and the clutch may be closed by engagement of 24 with member 16.

Fig. '1 shows a further modification of my invention in which means are provided to move the tone arm into the initial groove of the record after it has been lowered onto the record. In this figure, as in other figures, the tone arm is hinged to the member 99 at hinge |2| The member 99 is rigidly attached to sleeve 28' about shaft 28. This sleeve is mounted for longitudinal movement through a bushing |23 from a position corresponding to that shown to an upper position in which stop |24, mounted on its lower end, enL gages the chassis 4. Since the tone arm is supported on rod 28 at a point intermediate its ends upward movement of rod 28 tends to lift both ends of the tone arm including hinge |2I. This also lifts member 99 and sleeve 28' until stop |24 engages the chassis. Hinge |2I then opens, the opposite end of the tone arm raising and pivoting at hinge I2 I.

In the upward position of member 99, when the tone arm is moved by pin 90 outwardaway from the turntable and into engagement with member 98 carried by the tone arm return lever, its

forwardly projecting finger 99 becomes latched to upright 98 by means of a hook attached to the upper end thereof. The tone arm and member 98 are now pushed further outward by the pin beyond the position shown in Fig. 3 and after the changing of the record, are again moved inward by means of the spring 96- until stopped by stop lever 40. Any tendency for the tone arm |6 to swing farther inward about pivot rod 28, by reason of .its own inertia after pawl 50 engages the stop lever 40, is prevented by the hook |`I|. Now, when rod 28 is lowered, member 99 is also lowered thereby releasing finger 99' from hook A very slight spring ||2 attached to member 98 now bears against finger 99 thus giving the tone arm a slight inward tendency so that it moves gently into the first groove of the record after it has been dropped upon the record ata point beyond the grooved portion thereof.

Fig. 8 shows a further modification of my invention incorporating means for moving the tone ,if member I 06 assente arm into-the initial groove of the record but in which the number of parts above the chassis is reduced. The chassis 4 is indicated in Fig. It having the column i3d rigidly attached thereto. On the top of this column rides member 93 to which the tone arm iti is hinged at |2| as in Fig. 7. Steeve 23 extends through this column |3I`P and has member 93 attached rigidly to its upper end. The sleeve 28' is somewhat longer than column i3@ and below the lower end of the column |33 sleeve 33' carries a disk |3| having two projections |33 and |33 to the latter of which is attached upward projecting member |34 presently to be referred to.

About column |30, below the chassis is a sleeve |35 carrying a disk |33 having a horizontal projection i3?, ari-aperture |33 adapted to receive projection l 34, and adjacent thereto, a downward projection |33 somewhat shorter than projection |313.

Beneath disk |3| and about rod 23 is mounted the tone arm return lever Sl having member 98 projecting upward therefrom to cooperate with projection |3l tending to move it to the right under iniluence of spring 35.

Further details of this construction may better be understood from a description of its operation.

At the beginning of the record changing operation rod 23 is moved upward to lift the tone arm as described in connection with the other figures. Since it engages the tone arm at an intermediate point its upward movement also lifts member 39 and sleeve 23 until projection |3|t engages the lower surface of disk |33. Hinge |3| then opens and the lifting of the tone arm is completed.

Pin 93 is now moved to the right as described in connection with the other gures. It engages projection |32 of disk |3| moving disk |3| counterclockwise until projection |3d enters aperture |33. This movement causes outward rotation of the tone arm over the record. When member |34 engages member |33, or enters aperture |38 disk |33 is also rotated counterclcckwise.

Its projection |31 engages member 33 carried by tone arm return lever 3l and moves this lever counter-clockwise against spring 36.

Before member |36 engaged member |33, or

entered aperture |38, it engaged the end 0f a small spring, indicated on the drawings as a hairpin spring Mii, suitably carried by disk |36 and placed it under stress tending to produce opposite rotations of disks |33 and 53|.

After the record to be played is discharged upon the turntable pin 30 moves to the left. The tone arm return lever then moves clockwise under its spring bias, member S3 rotating disk 36 and also disk |3| which is now locked to disk |33 by member |36 projecting into aperture i3d, until the return lever 3l is stopped by engagement with the tone arm stop lever as described in connection with the other gures. When this occurs the tone arm is prevented from further inward movement under its own inertia by reason of engagement of projection |365 with aperture |33.

When the tone arm is lowered sleeve 33' lowers moving disk l 3| downward and withdrawing projection i3d from aperture |38. Spring itl? now tends to produce e. further inward movement of the tone arm just sucient to move the stylus gently into the rst groove of the record.'

Of course, the component parts of Iiig.v 8l are shown distorted in form and displaced for clearness of description and illustration. In actual form the unit is very compact, mounted below the chassis and out of view.

My invention. it will be seen, is extremely simplev in its structure and operation. and is assembled into a very compact unit es shown in Figi. While inlFig. l I have shown certain of the operating mechanism above the chassis 4 it will be understood that if desired practically the entire mechanism may be placed beneath the chassis for improvement in the appearance of the finished device. If desired, all of the parts below dotted line |30' of Fig. 3 may be placed beneath the chassis and out of sight, the vertical members extending across this vline projecting through properly shaped holes in the chassis.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto since dierent modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a turntable, a record magazine, comprising upright shafts adjacent said table having platens arranged to support a stack of records over said table, and when rotated to discharge the bottom record of said stack onto said table, a frame secured about one of said shafts having a nger rigidly mounted thereon and normally positioned away from said stack, means responsive to rotation of said one shaft to rotate said nger about the axis of said shaft as a pivot into engagement with the periphery of the next record to be discharged irrespective of the diameter of said Inext record to .be discharged whereby said rotation about said axis of said shaft as a pivot is stopped upon engagement of said next record and at a position corresponding to the diameter of said next record, a tone arm stop device, means selectively responsive to the position of said frame when rotation of said nger is stopped by engagement with said record to position said tone arm stop device in either one of a plurality of positions in accord with the position of said frame, a tone arm, and means operative after said bottom record is discharged to move said tone arm to a position determined by the position or" said tone arm stop device.

2. In combination, a turntable, a record magazine comprising upright shafts adjacent said table having platens arranged to support a stack of records over said table, and when rotated to discharge the bottom record of said stack onto ,said table, a frame secured about one` of said shafts having a nger extending therefrom normally positioned away from said stack, means responsive to rotation or said shaft to rotate said frame and finger about the airis oi said shaft as a pivot until said nnger engages with the periphery of the next record to be discharged irrespective of the diameter of said next record whereby said rotation of said frame about said axis of said shaft as a pivotis stopped upon engagement v of said next record and at a position corresponding to the diameter of said nexf; record, a tone.

arm stop device, means to position said tone arm stop device in either of a plurality of positions, means to select said positions in response to the position of said frame when said rotation is stopped'by engagement of said nger with saidY next record whether said next record be large or' small, and means to maintain the position of said tone arm stop device after said next record has been discharged.

3. In. combination, a turntable, a record magazine, comprising upright shafts adjacent said table having platens arranged to support a stack of records over said table and when rotated to discharge the bottom record of said stack onto said table, a frame secured about one of said shafts having a finger extending therefrom normally positioned away from said stack, means responsive to vrotation of said shaft to rotate said finger about the axis of said shaft into engagement with the periphery of 'the next record to be discharged whether said record be large or small, a resilient drive connection betweensaid shaft and said finger whereby said finger stops upon engagement with the periphery of said next record While said rotationA of said shaft continues, a tone arm stop device, and means selectively responsive to the position of said finger when engaging said next record to position said tone arm stop device in accord with the diameter of said next record.

4. In combination, a tone arm, a turntable, a

record magazine having discharge mechanism,

said mechanism being rotatable in one direction about an axis to discharge a record and in the other direction to return to initial position, an index member, means comprising a resilient connection between said mechanism and said index to rotate said index about said axis as said mechanism is rotated about said axis, said index mem- .ber being positioned and arranged to engage the periphery of the record to be discharged during said rotation of said mechanism in the flrst direction and to be stopped thereby in a position in its rotation about said axis dependent on the diameter of the next record to be discharged and then to return to its initial position in response to rotation of said mechanism in the opposite direction, a tone arm stop lever, means to operate said tone arm away from playing position, means operable after said record has been discharged to operate said tone arm toward playing position and against said stop lever, and means to position said stop lever in accordance with the position of said index member when it engages said periphery, whereby said stop lever is engaged at one point or another by said tone arm, said lever being shaped to stop said tone arm at a position corresponding to the diameter of said record.

5. In combination, a turntable, having a vertical shaft, two vertical shafts having platens thereon arranged to support a stack of records over said table, and to discharge said records one by one upon predetermined reciprocation of said shafts, a lever pivoted about said turntable shaft and connecting said two shafts for simultaneous reciprocation, a tone arm, means responsive to predetermned movement of said tone arm to cause one reciprocation of said lever and reciprocation of said two shafts to discharge a record, a tone arm stop device, means responsive to movement of said lever to move said tone arm away from said record, and to position said stop device in accordance with the diameter of the next record to be discharged, and means to return said tone arm to a position determined by said stop device.

6. In combination, a turntable, a plurality of vertical shafts near said table having horizontal platens arranged thereon to support a stack of records .over said table, said platens being arranged upon predetermined rotation of said shafts to discharge the bottom record in said stack, a lever arranged for oscillation about a pivot and having opposite ends connected to said shafts for simultaneous rotatcn thereof, a tone arm, means responsive to predetermined movement of said tone arm to cause one oscillation of said lever, a tone arm stop device, means responsive to movement of said lever in one direction to move said tone armaway from said turntable and to operate said stop device to a position corresponding to the diameter of the next record to be discharged, and means to move said tone arm to a position determined by said stop device.

7. The combination, a turntable, a record magazine having record discharge mechanism ar-' ranged to discharge one record on each operation thereof, a cam, means responsive to operation of said mechanism to position said cam in response to the diameter of any record to be discharged, a tone arm, a tone arm stop lever, means to move said tone arm toward record playing position and into engagement with said stop lever after said record has been discharged, means operable before said record is discharged to position said stop lever in response to the position of said cam thereby to stop said tone arm in a corresponding position, whereby said lever is engaged by said tone arm at one point or another dependent upon the diameter of said record, and said stop lever being so shaped that said tone arm is stopped in varying positions in response to the diameter of the next record to be played.

8. In combination, record discharge device having a shaft arranged for reciprocal rotation to discharge a record, a cam driven from said shaft and having a stop finger arranged to engage the periphery of the record to be discharged to stop movement of said cam, a tonearm stop lever biased for movement against said cam, means to restrain movement of said stop lever until said finger engages said periphery, means to release said restraint after said finger engages said periphery whereby said lever moves under its bias to a position determined by said cam in accordance with the diameter of the record' discharged,

a tone arm, means to move said tone arm over the discharged record, and means carried by said tone arm to engage said stop lever and stop said tone arm at a position determined thereby.

9. In combination, record discharge device having a shaft arranged for reciprocalrotation to discharge a record, a cam driven from said shaft and having a stop finger-arranged to engage the periphery of the record to be discharged to stop movement of said cam, a tone arm stop lever biased for movement against said cam, a pawl device normally biased into engagement with said lever to restrain it against movement under its bias, a `finger carried by said shaft, and arranged at a predetermined point in the rotation.

of said shaft to actuate said pawl device from engagement with `said lever againstl its bias and then to release said pawl device, whereby said lever moves against said cam and is again restrained by said pawl device in a new position corresponding to the position of said cam, a tone arm, means to move said tone arm over the discharged record, and means carried by said tone arm to engage said stop lever and stop said tone arm at a position determined thereby.

10. 'I'he combination, in a record changing phonograph in which records of different diameter are indiscriminately stacked in a magazine and played successively, a turntable, means operable after a record has been discharged from the magazine to said table to move said tone arm toward said record, fixed means to stop said tone arm in a position corresponding to records of one diameter, a stop lever having two positions, and means controlled by the bottom record of said magazine to move said lever to one of said positions in response to a record of a different diameter, and to the other of 'said positions in response to an empty magazine, said first means operating to move said tone arm against said stop lever thereby to stop said tone arm in a position corresponding to the instant position of said stop lever.

ll. The combination, in a record changing phonograph in which records of different diameter are indiscriminately stacked in a magazine and played successively, a turntable, means operable after a record has been discharged from the magazine to said table to move said tone arm toward said record, fixed means to stop said tone arm in a position corresponding to records of one diameter, a stop lever having two positions, means to vmove said lever to one of said positions in response to a record of a diierent diameter, and lto the other of said positions in response to an empty magazine, said rst means operating to move said tone arm against said stop lever thereby to stop said tone arm in a position corresponding to the instant position of said stop lever, means to lower said tone arm lll. The combination in a record changing phonograph in which a tone arm is raised and moved outward away from the played record after completion thereof, and is subsequently moved inward and lowered over a new record, a tone arm return lever biased to the inner position of said tone arm and positioned to be moved against its bias by engagement with said tone arm in its outward movement, said lever operating under its bias to move said tone arm inward, a stop for said return lever, means to latch said tone arm to said return lever to prevent movement thereof under its own inertia when said return lever engages said stop, and means to unlatch said tone arm from said return lever when said tone arm is lowered, and a spring carried by said return lever engaging said tone arm to cause inward movement thereof into the first groove of the after it has been stopped, and means responsive to lowering oi' said record in the position oorresponding to an empty magazine to stop said phonograph.

l2. The combination, in a record changing phonograph, ln which records of different diameter are indiscriminately stacked in a magazine and played successively, a turntable, means operable after a record has been discharged from the magazine to said table to movesaid tone arm toward said record, a tone arm stop lever having at least three positions, means to move said lever to one or another of two of said positions dependent respectively upon the diameter of the next record to be discharged from said magazine and to move said lever to a third of said positions in response to an empty magazine, means subsequently to stop said tone arm in a position corresponding to the position of said stop lever, whereby said tone arm stops in a position corresponding to the diameter of a record to be played or in a position corresponding to an empty magazine, means to lower said tone arm, and means to stop said phonograph in response to lowering of said tone arm in the position corresponding to an empty magazine.

13. The combination, in a record changing phonograph in which a tone arm is raised and moved outward away from theplayed record after completion thereof, and is substantially moved inward and lowered over a new record, a tone arm return lever biased continuously to the inner position of said tone arm and positioned to be moved against its bias by engagement with said tone arm in its outward movement, said lever operating under its bias to move said tone arm inward, a stop for said return lever, means to latch said tone arm to said return lever to prevent movement thereof under its own inertia when said return lever engages said stop, and means to unlatch said tone arm from said return lever when said tone arm is lowered.

record after said tone arm is lowered.

l5. In combination, a turntable, a record magazine having upright shafts adjacent said table having platens arranged to support a stack or records over said table, and when rotated to discharge the bottom record of said stack onto said turntable, a cam mounted to rotate about the axis of one of said shafts, said cam having a finger normally positioned away from said stack, means responsive to rotation of said shaft and platens yieldably to rotate said cam and nger about said axis of said shaft until said finger engages the next record to be played, said finger being positioned and arranged to engage said next record and to be arrested in its movement about the axis of said shaft thereby while rotation of said platens continues, whereby said cam is selectively positioned in accord with the diameter of any record next 'to be played, a tone arm, means to move said tone arm first outward away from said records and then inward toward said records, and means to stop said inward movement of said tone arm at a position determined by the position of said cam.

16. In combination, a turntable, a record magazine having upright shafts adjacent said table having platens arranged to support a stack of records over said table, and when rotated to discharge the bottom record of said stack onto said turntable, a cam mounted to rotate about the axis of one of said shafts, said cam having a finger normally positioned away from said stack, means responsive to rotation of said shaft and platens to rotate said cam and nger about said shaft in one direction until said finger is arrested by engagement with the next; record to be played and to return said cam and iinger to initial position in response to return movement of said shaft, whereby said cam, during the inter#- val of forward movement of said shaft after said finger is arrested, occupies a position corresponding to the diameter of the next record to be played, a tone arm stop lever. biased against said cam during said interval, means to latch said lever in position determined by said cam during said interval, a tone arm, and means to move said tone arln outward away from said records and then inward toward said records and to stop said inward movement at a point determined by the position in which said stop lever is latched.

ooNALD a. DE ma. 

